Utility table



y 1939- M. E. HILLER 2,160,144

UTILITY TABLE Filed March 4, 1937 Fig.1 .4/ .2 0 n l f 17 1 l l F- 45 l I INVENTOR Patented May 30, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March '4,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a utility table, and more particularly, to a table with an adjustableposition ironing board.

In my co-pending application Serial No. 122,776,

I have disclosed a table with a retractible ironing board member. The table may be used for receiving dampened clothing, etc., and when extended, may also be used as an ironing board. Although such a type of table is of great usefulness in the art in question, I have found that there is also a need for a modified type of table which may be position-changed and/or raised and lowered to various positions. Position change may be accomplished to make the ironing more 1 comfortable and easy for a particular height of person and also to take care of different shapes and/or lengths of clothing. Certain types of clothing and materials require a higher-positioned board than others, this is particularly true when they are to be kept off the floor and to be most conveniently and efiiciently handled during the ironing operation. Of course, it will be apparent that such position-change must be capable of being accomplished quickly and easily and that the board must be positively held in each position.

The present invention thus relates generally to a similar type of table such as set forth in my co-pending application, but to one which has ad- 0 ditional features of novelty and utility.

And, it has been an object of my invention to provide a combination type of table whose retractible members are position-adjustable.

Another object has been to provide a utility table having retractible members that are detachable.

A further object of my invention has been to devise a combination type of table which may be practically and easily raised and/or lowered for meeting different ironing requirements.

A still further object has been to devise a combination type of table whose extensible portions may be quickly and effectively changed and positioned and/or which will be positively and securely held in a desired position.

These and many other objects of my invention will appear to those skilled in the art from the drawing, the description thereof, and the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a part longitudinal section and part elevational view, the section being taken along the line II of Figure 3, and showing a table em- 55 ploying the principles of my invention; this figure 1937, Serial No. 128,969

shows the retractible members in a lowered position;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section view similar to Figure 1 but showing the retractible members in a raised position; 5

Figure 3 is a longitudinal plan showing a portion of the table structure of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged side view of a detail of the position-change structure taken from Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the members in a raised position such as in Figure 2; this figure also shows a modified form of position-change arrangement.

Any suitable materials may be employed in manufacturing tables in accordance with the principles of my invention, although I prefer to use metal since it provides an inexpensive and practical form of construction and can be manufactured on a practical commercial basis. The pieces may be pressed, forged, cast, welded, and/or stamped into desired shapes.

In order to simplify the description of the present invention, I have employed numerals ill to 30, inclusive, which correspond to similarly designated parts in my above-mentioned co-pending application. Thus, for specific details of the construction of the parts referred to by numerals within such range, particular attention is called to the description in my co-pending application.

As shown in the figures, I have provided a substantially rectangulan form of main table portion l0 having suitable legs I4, outwardly opening doors l5 and I6, and longitudinally extending guide rod members 22. 35

In accordance with my present invention, I provide an ironing board member 40 which may be constructed as previously described in connection with the member 20 of my co-pending application. However, the member 40 is not directly mounted on the guide rod members 22 but is provided with a spaced pair of downwardly-projecting connecting or leg members 43. As seen particularly in Figures 1 and 2, the leg members 43 are preferably of strip or strap metal and are mounted upon the lower face of the ironing board member 40 adjacent the rear end thereof. Each of these leg members 43 is preferably provided at each end with side-extending angles or bent over flange portions. The upper flange serves as a foot which may be welded to the bottom face of the ironing board member 40.

A slide plate or member 40a is provided at its rear end with a transversely-extending guide rod member 2| that is slidably mounted on the spaced-apart guide rods 22. The member 2| is preferably of sufficient width at its opposite ends, or in other words, at the points of slide contact with the guide rods 22, in order to prevent the member 40a from sagging or tilting. If desirable, a pair of spaced-apart transversely-extending guide members 2| may be provided as additional insurance in this connection (not shown).

As shown particularly in Figure 3, the body of the member 49a is slotted or stamped out adjacent opposite sides thereof to receive the leg members 43. The slots are of a size such that the lower flange ends of the feet are entered therein at an angle; this in effect locks the table portion 40 to the slide member 4%. The legs 43 are provided with one or more spaced slots, such as 43 and 43", that face forwardly of the table and co operate with the edges of the slots in the auxiliary member 4911 to lock the legs in a given position.

The board 40 is also provided with a triangular leg construction that includes a lower set of leg members 45 of ordinary angle shape and an upper set of connecting leg members 44 of similar shape. The lower members are held in position by a bin 29 and the upper members preferably have angle flanges adjacent their upper and lower ends similar to the flanges of the legs 43. Thus, the upper flanges may be welded to the lower face of the board 49 and a triangular-shaped positioning and support plate 4'! may be welded to the lower flanges.

As seen, the upper three legs 44 are mounted in such a manner that they will slide or telescope within the angular confines of the lower members 45. In order to quickly adjust the position of the leg members 44 and 45 with respect to each other, I have provided substantially verticallyextending slots 48 in the side flanges of the back pair of leg members 45. A substantially U-shaped angle piece or channel 49 having a central web portion, from which extend downwardly a pair of spaced-apart flanges, is preferably welded to the bottom of and adjacent the back edge of the triangular plate member 4'1. The channel 49 extends outwardly beyond the side edges of such plate to cooperate with the slots 48 in the pair of lower back leg members 45.

As shown, the rear portion of each slot 48 is wide enough to permit the channel or angle member 49 to slide therein. This slot, at its upper end extends horizontally forward, and then, extends downwardly in a vertical direction. The width of the horizontal portion is also suflicient to permit the channel member 49 to slide therein and the width of the vertical front portion of the slot corresponds to the thickness of the front downwardly-extending flange of the member 49. It should also be noted that the thickness of the metal between the front and rear vertical portions of the slot 48, corresponds to the distance between the spaced-apart downwardly extending flanges of the channel member 49. By reason of such shape and dimension proportions, it is possible to raise the ironing board 49 from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2, and to lock it in the latter position. The locking action is accomplished by moving the board forwardly and permitting the front flange of the channel member 49 to lower into the front vertical slot and lock itself in position. At the same time, the slot 43 in the rear leg members 43 is moved over a portion of the front face of the auxiliary member 40a.

To lower the table, either the board 4|] and/or the plate 41 is lifted and moved backwardly a sufficient distance such that the position-lock channel 49 will clear the front portions of the slot 48 and the slot 43 of the legs 43 will clear the edges of the table member 404%.

To positively hold the table in a raised position, such as shown in Figure 2, I preferably provide a bearing piece, rest, or stop 50 which is rigidly secured to the inner surface of the from; lower leg member 45. This stop has a thickness such that the upper front leg member 44 may clear it when the table is being raised and lowered and will rest upon it when the board 40 is locked in position.

In Figure 5, I have shown a modified form of position-change arrangement which permits the table to be placed in a number of raised positions. The operation and construction are practically the same as described in connection with Figures 1-4, inclusive, except that the slot 48 is extended and is provided with additional horizontally-forward and downwardly-extending front vertical portions. The slot extension portions serve to interlock the legs 45 and channel 49 in another position. I also provide an additional stop 5| which is mounted above the stop 50. Of course, it will be apparent that the upper front leg member 44 should be slotted at 52 to, in effect, permit the leg member to slide over the stop 5| when the table 40 is in its first position shown in the figure. However, it is not necessary to extend the slot vertically of the leg 44 since the stop 5| is cleared when the table is moved backwardly and is then raised to its second position. The rear legs 43 have a pair of vertically spaced slots 43' and 43" that enable the rear end of the table 40a to be set in the two positions.

From the above description, it will be apparent that the ironing board member 4|], including its leg structure, may be moved to a hidden and retractible position beneath the table l9 when it is in the position shownv in Figure l, and may be then pulled to an extended position shown in such figure and raised to positions, such as shown in Figures 2 and 5. The change of position of the ironing board 40 may be quickly and easily accomplished without any complicated adjustments by simply lifting the board and moving it inwardly or outwardly, as previously explained. It is also apparent that the board can be completely removed when the table H1 is to be used for some other purpose, by raising the legs 43 completely out of the slots in the auxiliary or slide plate member 49a.

Although I have shown a preferred disclosure of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many other modifications may be based upon the principles of my invention and that suitable changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as indicated particularly by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a table, a table top, suitable legs secured thereto and adapted to rest upon a -floor space, an auxiliary table top slidably and outwardly extensibly mounted with respect to said table top, leg members vertically attached to said auxiliary table top, and members adjustably connecting said auxiliary table top to said table top, said members being constructed and arranged to cooperate with said leg members for supporting said auxiliary table top in one of two substantially horizontally-level vertical positions when said auxiliary table top is outwardly extended with respect to said first-mentioned table top.

2- In an ironing table, a main body portion including a table top and suitable leg members, a guide mounted on said main body portion, a slide member slidably mounted on said guide, an auxiliary table top, elements constructed and arranged to vertically-adjustably connect said auxiliary table top to said slide member, and legs attached to said auxiliary table top and positioning said top with respect to a floor space, said legs being constructed and arranged to Vertically-adjustably position said auxiliary table top with respect to the floor space.

3. In a table, a main body portion having suitable legs cooperating with a floor space, guide members mounted on said main body portion, a plate slidably mounted on said guide members, slots in said slide plate, an auxiliary table body having elements adjacent an inner end thereof interfitting with the slots in said slide member, said elements being constructed and arranged to removably and vertically-adjustably connect said auxiliary table body to said slide plate, and vertically adjustable leg members attached to said auxiliary body for supporting said auxiliary body on a floor space.

4. In an ironing table, a table top, legs connected to said table top and positioning it with respect to a floor space, an auxiliary ironing board table top, means slidably mounting said auxiliary table top in a slidable position beneath said first-mentioned table top, said auxiliary table top being constructed and arranged to slide from a position beneath said firstmen-- tioned table top to an outward position extending with respect thereto, connecting leg members extending downwardly from said auxiliary table top, additional leg members adapted to cooperate with the floor space and to slidably receive said connecting leg members, said additional leg members having guide portions, said connecting leg members having extending slide and lock portions constructed and arranged to move along said guide portions and to vertically support said auxiliary table top in one of two positions with respect to said additional leg members.

5. In a table having a table top and suitable leg members connected thereto and supporting it with respect to a floor space, an auxiliary table top, a slide plate slidably mounted in a longitudinal direction with respect to said firstmentioned table top, a connecting member extending downwardly from said auxiliary table top adjacent an inner end thereof, said slide plate and said connecting member being complementarily slotted out to interengage with each other for detachably supporting the inner end of said auxiliary table top with respect to said guide plate, said auxiliary table top being constructed and arranged to move from a position beneath said first-mentioned table top to an outwardly extending position with respect thereto, a set of lower leg members adapted to rest upon the fioor space, a set of upper leg members extending downwardly from said auxiliary table top outwardly beyond said extending por tion, said set of upper legs being slidably received within said set of lower legs, at least one of the members of said lower set of legs having a vertically extending guide slot extending horizontally at spaced intervals along the vertical length thereof, a transversely extending channel member secured to said upper set of legs and constructed and arranged to slide along vertical portions of said slot for changing the vertical height of said auxiliary table top, and to slide horizontally along spaced-apart horizontal portions of said slot for locking said auxiliary table top in a desired vertical position with respect to the floor space.

6. In a table having a suitable body portion and supporting legs therefor, an auxiliary body portion constructed and arranged to be slid to and from a retracted position beneath said main body portion to an extending position with respect thereto, a triangular leg structure having at least three securely connected leg members secured to said auxiliary body portion at a substantial distance from the extending end thereof and extending downwardly therefrom, said triangular leg structure being mounted in such a manner with respect to said auxiliary body portion as to provide a maximum clearance length for articles being ironed thereon.

MARY ELIZABETH HILLER. 

